The Colorado Telecommunications Association at its 2016 Summer Meeting announced that U.S. Senator Cory Gardner has received its annual Rural Broadband Leadership Award.

“Senator Gardner has quickly become a recognized leader on rural issues, including broadband access for our state’s rural communities, at the U.S. Capitol and within the federal government,” said Pete Kirchhof, executive vice president of the CTA. “Rural communities have a true champion in Senator Gardner and thank him for being such a strong advocate here in Colorado and in Washington.”

The association—which represents the broadband companies, vendors and service providers that connect many of Colorado's rural and mountain communities—established the award to help raise awareness about rural broadband issues and to recognize the importance of elected official’s support of rural communities.

“I’m honored to receive the Rural Broadband Leadership Award from the Colorado Telecommunications Association,” Senator Gardner said. “Broadband issues aren’t partisan. Broadband issues affect our communities, our education infrastructure, our healthcare systems, and our ability to do business across the globe. Congress must make broadband opportunity and deployment a priority, or our competitiveness and success as a world leader will suffer.

“I’m thankful for the Colorado Telecommunications Association’s commitment to bring rural Americans high-speed broadband, and I look forwards to continuing to work together to further this mission,” Gardner said.

As part of receiving the award, Senator Gardner provided a video message to the CTA leadership and members at the association’s Summer Meeting in Colorado Springs.